Oil saver



June 13, 1944.- J. A. 1.; KELLEY OIL SAVER Filed Dec. 26. 1941 fax? 41%;??? I A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 13, 1944 OIL SAVER John A. L. Kelley, Dallas, Tex., assignor of one half to Benjamin F. Kelley, Tulsa, Okla.

Application December 26, 1941, Serial No. 424,451

'4 Claims.

This invention relates to an oil saver for attachment to the head fittings of oil and gas wells.

A general object of this invention is to provide an improved form of leak-proof or leak-preventing seal for pump rods, wire lines, tubing, etc, during their passage in and out of the well.

Another object is to provide, in a device of the class described, an improved form of flexible packing element which yields to the passage of projections on the tool moving through the well while maintaining a high degree of sealing efficiency.

A further object is to provide an oil saver, particularly for use with wire lines, which includes an improved form. of guide for centering the line in passage through the well head and to prevent undue and uneven wear of the line and the oil saver.

Other and more specific objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing which illustrates useful embodiments of the device in accordance with this invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of one embodiment of th device;

Fig. 2 is an outside elevation of the embodiment of Fig. l viewed at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section along line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross section along line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of one of the elements of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another element illustrated in Fig. 1;

Figs. 7 and 8 are top and side views, respectively, of another detail of the device; and

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of one of the details of the device.

Referring to the drawing, numeral l designates a hollow tubular casing, split longitudinally, and having registering bolt lugs la along the adjacent edges of the half-sections of the housing for fastening them. together by means of bolts lb. Housing I is closed interiorly adjacent its lower end by plate 2 which is split diagonally to conform with the half sections of the housing and has an axial opening 3 therethrough. The lower end of housing l is threaded externally at 4 for attachment to the upper end of a well tube,'casing, tubing head, casing head or other conventional well head fittings. Any suitable means other than threads may be employed for fastening the housing I to conventional well head fittings. A cap plate 5, provided with an axial opening 8, registering with opening 3, is bolted to the upper end of housing I by means of bolts 5a and forms a closure therefor. An annular recess l, concentric with opening 3, is provided in the upper face of plate 2 for the reception of a packing element to be later described. Numeral 8 designates a conventional wire line which extends longitudinally of the device through the registering openings 3 and 6 and is adapted to be reciprocated therethrough.

A cylindrical packing member 9, formed of rubber or other compressible and resilient composition material, and having a central bore l2, surrounds wire line 8 and has its lower end seated in recess 7 and its upper end against the lower face of cap plate 5. U-shaped annular metal thimbles l ll-l 0 are mounted on the opposite ends of packing member 9, and have central openings 1 l aligned with the bore l2 of packing member 9 for permitting longitudinal movement of line 8 therethrough. Packing member 9 is provided with a longitudinal slit l3 which extends outwardly tangentially from the wall of bore l2 to the exterior surface of member 9. The slit l3 permits the packing member II to be opened longitudinally for mounting on line 8. Additional longitudinal slits l4, tangential to bore l2, extend outwardly therefrom. toward the periphery of packing member 9. However these slits I l do not extend entirely through the member 9 and are arranged successively about bore l2 at increasing angles relative to slit l3. The function of these several slits is to permit a generally circular and uniform constriction of the packing member 9 about line 8 when pressure is applied to the exterior of member 9. A plurality of recesses l5 extend outwardly from bore 12 into the body of packing member 9 and are adapted to catch oil or other fluid which may cling to line 8 as it is reciprocated through the packing, and these recesses serve as lubricant reservoirs for lubricating the movement of the line through bore l2.

An inflatable hollow tube l6, constructed of rubber or similar elastic composition material, is arranged in the annular space between the outside of packing member 9 and the inner wall of housing I and is formed to fit snugly in this annular space when fully inflated. Tube I6 is split longitudinally along one side at I8, the ends of the tube being sealed, to allow the tube to be placed about the packing member 9. Tube I6 is provided with an air valve H, such as is conventionally used with automobile inner tubes, which extends from one side of tube l6 through a suitable opening Ila in the side of housing I.

An upwardly extending tubular sleeve l9, enclosing a chamber 20, is mounted on top of cap plate 5 and concentrically surrounds the portion of line 8 which extends above plate 5. A cover plate 2|, having an axial opening 22 to permit passage of line 8 therethrough, is bolted to the top of sleeve l9 by means of bolts 23. It will be understood that cap plate 5, sleeve l9, and cover plate 2| are all split diametrically to conform consists of a circular plate formed by joining together four 90 degree sectors 21. naled between each adjacent pair of sectors 21 Guide member 26 is in use.

Jtangential slits I3 and I4 permits uniform conis a guide roller 28 having a circumferential" notch 29 which is adapted to ride ag'ainstlin'e 8. When the sectors 21 and their intervening rollers 28 are assembled in their circular arrangement, notches 29 form contiguous sectors of a circular opening between the rollers 28 which closely surround line 8 and permits the rollers to bear uniformly on the periphery of the line. The assembled guide member ZB-has a diameter slightly smaller than that of chamber 28 such that it is freely rotatable within the chamber. The height of the guide member 26 is less than the length of chamber ZIIpermitting a limited degree'of vertical movement ofthe guide member within chamber 29..

The device isassem bled in the following manner:

The half sections of housing I are placed about line 8 and are bolted together by insertion of bolts Ib through lugs Ia. The lower end of the housing is then firmly attached to the well head fitting (not shown) as by engagement with threads 41 Packing member 9 is spread about along slit I3 and placed about line 8 which becomes seated in bore I2, the lower end of packing member 9 beingthen seatedin recess I. Tube IS, in deflated condition; isthen arranged valve I! thus relaxing packing member 9 from about the line 8.

The described arrangement for pneumatically compressing and relaxing packing member 9, greatly increases the life, of the packing material, since such packing'is thus subjected to frictional and. compressive load only when the line Also the described arrangement of the striction of the packing member 9 about the line 8 and thereby. greatly enhances the sealing eificiency of the packing and further increases the about packing member 9 in the annular space about line 8 and the assembled guide structure,

which isnow circular in form, is dropped into chamber 29 and brought to rest on the upper,

surface of cap plate 5. Cover plate 2| is then bolted in place on the upper end of sleeve I9 and the assembly of the entire structure is thus completed.

I The assembled device is operated in the following manner: a

In order to constrict packing member 9 about line 8, air or other pneumatic fluid, under pressure supplied from a suitable source (not shown), is admitted to the interior of tube I9 which is inflated thereby and, as the pressure increases, compresses the exterior of packing member 9 uniformly. The pressure is transmitted uniformly through packing member 9 and causes .the wall of bore I2, by virtue of the tangential slits I3 and I4, to be constricted uniformly about line 8 and to seal the line against leakage of fluid. The degree of pneumatic pressure thus applied against packing member 9 and line 8 may be varied as desired by any suitable control means (not shown) connected with the source of pneumatic fluid. When movement of line 8 is discontinued and it is desired to release the compression upon the line, tube I6 may be deflated by releasing the pneumatic pressure through air )0 and modifications may be made in the details of wearing life thereof. The provision of the metal thimbles Ill-I0 about the ends of the packing member 9 serves to hold the ends of the packing member against being undulydistended and deformed by the fluid pressure from the well. These thimbles also prevent undesirable abrasion and tearing of the ends of the packing by the line 8 in its movement therethrough.

The'guide member 26 being free to float within chamber 28 serves to hold the line 8 in vertical alignment and keeps the line properly centered in the Packing and thereby further reduces the possibility of uneven or undue wear of the packing in line. I

Fig. 9 illustrates another embodiment of packing member 9, which is particularly adapted for use with rods, tubing or pipe, the sections of which are connected together by couplings which are normally of larger external diameter than the connected sections. To;- allow passage of these couplings through the packing member, the opposite end portions 3I-3I of bore I2 are made larger in diameter than the intermediate portion of the bore and these enlarged end portions 3I 3I are joined with the-intermediate portion of the bore by taperedportions 30. Central openings II of thimbles III-I0 are enlarged to conform with the internal diameter of portions 3I3I. The internal diameter of openings II and of end portions 3I3I is such as to permit passage therethrough of the couplings, while the intermediate portion of bore I2 will expand as the coupling passes through. The resiliency of the packing member and th provision of slits I3 and I4 in the body of the packing member are effective to permit passage of the couplings through bore I2 without loss of sealing eificiency.

Provision of the longitudinal tangential slits ,I3 and I4 in the packing member 9 of both the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 9- constrain the expansion and contraction of the packing member to be substantially radial and uniform and large,- ly eliminates longitudinal distortion of the packing member, when pressure is applied thereto eX- ,ternally by inflation of tube I6 Or internally by .thepassage through bore I2 of a projection or enlargement on the wire line or pipe.

It will be understood that various alterations Patent is:

v 1. In an oil saver of the class described, a tubular packing member constructed of resilient rubber-like material having a central bore therethrough, and a plurality of angularly spaced vertical slits in the body of said packing member from end-to-end thereof and extending tangen- .tially from said bore toward but not through the periphery of said packing member.

2. Inan oil saver of the class described, a tug bular packing member constructed of resilient rubber-like material having a central bore there- 'through, a plurality of angularly spaced vertical slits in the body of said packing member from end-to-end thereof and extending tangentially from said bore toward but not through the periphery of said packing member only one of said slits extending entirely through the body of said packing member to the exterior thereof, and a U-shaped annular metallic cap mounted on each end of said packing member and having an axial passageway registering with said bore of the packing member.

3. In an oil saver of the class described, a tubular packing member constructed of resilient rubber-like material having a central bore therethrough, and a plurality of angularly spaced vertical slits in the body of said packing member from end-to-end thereof and extending tangentially from said bore toward the periphery of said packing member, only one of said slits extending entirely through the body of said packing member to the exterior thereof.

4. In an oil saver of the class described, a tubular packing member constructed of resilient rubber-like material having a central bore therethrough, the opposite end portions of said bore being of larger diameter relative to the intervening portion of said b0re,'a U-shaped annular metallic cap mounted on each end of said packing member and having an axial passageway registering with said bore, one arm of each of said caps being seated in close-fitting relationship with the inner wall of the corresponding end portion of said bore, a plurality of an-gularly spaced vertical slits in the body of the packing member from end-to-end thereof and extending tangentially from said bore toward but not through the periphery of said packing member, only one of said slits extending entirely through the body of the packing member to the exterior thereof.

JOHN A. L. KELLEY. 

